"Lord Orochimaru," Lan couldn't help but speak up, still trying to stop Orochimaru from fighting Might Dai. After all, Orochimaru was an elite jōnin.
Known as the "Cold Sannin," this title had been whispered among Konoha's own people precisely because of Orochimaru's ruthless demeanor.
What if Orochimaru ended up killing Might Dai?
"Lan," Orochimaru's serpentine eyes fixed on the jōnin. "You've repeatedly opposed me now."
An intense killing intent erupted from Orochimaru, instantly enveloping Lan. The pressure was so overwhelming that it nearly paralyzed him.
Lan's fingers twitched, but in the end, he lowered his head without resistance.
"Lan, I know you don't want me on the battlefield," Might Dai said, giving him a thumbs-up. "But I can't just stand by and do nothing when the village is in danger."
"For the sake of the village, I fight willingly."
At that moment, even those who had always mocked Might Dai couldn't help but bow their heads.
Orochimaru smiled and applauded.
"A splendid speech. But Dai, if you can't earn my approval, I won't allow you on the battlefield."
Orochimaru found it increasingly difficult to empathize with these people.
There was a time when he, too, would have been deeply moved.
Now, he simply couldn't understand.
Why would anyone willingly throw away their already fragile life?
"I understand, Jōnin Orochimaru. I'll give it my all."
Might Dai nodded seriously.
As an elite jōnin, Orochimaru would likely require the power of the Eighth Gate.
Unfortunately, Dai could only barely open the Sixth Gate, a feat achieved with the help of his Basic Internal Energy Technique reaching the second stage.
But all he needed was Orochimaru's acknowledgment.
With a wave of Orochimaru's hand, the surrounding crowd quickly dispersed, clearing space for their battle.
"Then here I come, Jōnin Orochimaru!"
Might Dai crossed his arms in front of his face, veins bulging on his forehead.
"Eight Gates Formation! Gate of Opening! Gate of Healing! Gate of Life! Gate of Pain! Gate of Limit!"
"Gate of View! Six Gates—OPEN!"
A deep green chakra erupted from Might Dai's body, swirling around him like a raging storm. His skin turned red from the surge of blood.
"Such an astonishing amount of chakra!"
Orochimaru's eyes widened in shock. The explosive power of this chakra was overwhelming—almost like a Tailed Beast.
"Prelude of Youthful Vigor!"
In an instant, Might Dai vanished, reappearing right in front of Orochimaru with a flying kick.
The powerful strike hit Orochimaru squarely, smashing him into a spray of mud.
Earth Substitute Technique!
The real Orochimaru emerged from the ground, his legs morphing into serpentine tails. He stretched out his hands toward Might Dai as several giant snakes materialized beside him.
"Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!"
The snakes coiled around Might Dai the moment he landed.
"Tempest Kick! Dance of Youth!"
Might Dai's legs became a blur, delivering rapid kicks that unleashed crescent-shaped energy blades. The snakes were torn apart in a shower of blood, allowing Dai to break free.
"Tempest Kick?!"
Orochimaru immediately recognized this as one of Uchiha Kin's taijutsu techniques.
It required immense skill and chakra control, using the legs to generate kinetic energy and compress air into razor-sharp vacuum slashes.
As the energy blades shot toward him, Orochimaru's body was sliced in half.
But the upper half of his torso suddenly stretched its mouth grotesquely wide, and a wet, newly formed Orochimaru slithered out.
Orochimaru-style Substitution Technique.
He flung a shuriken with one hand while weaving hand signs with the other.
"Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique!"
A single shuriken multiplied into a storm of blades, sealing off all of Might Dai's advance routes. The sheer density left no gaps to evade.
Faced with the onslaught, Might Dai began throwing rapid punches. The friction between his fists and the air generated scorching heat, creating burning shockwaves that collided with the shuriken storm.
"This move is called Morning Peacock!!"
It was an idea he'd improvised on the spot, inspired by Tempest Kick.
The shockwaves and shuriken clashed in midair, momentarily locked in a stalemate and halting the blades' advance.
Orochimaru then opened his mouth wide, unleashing a horde of snakes onto the ground.
"Myriad Snake Formation!"
The snakes quickly overran the battlefield. One raised its head, a blade protruding from its mouth, and soon every snake followed suit, their mouths filled with gleaming swords.
Might Dai kicked off the ground with such force that he seemed to tread on air, launching himself upward.
"Moonwalk! Sprint of Youth!"
Orochimaru's smile widened. Might Dai continued to surprise him.
Moonwalk was the most difficult of Uchiha Kin's taijutsu techniques. Though classified as a B-rank jutsu, its execution demanded such speed and physical prowess that it rivaled A-rank techniques.
Even Orochimaru's body wasn't capable of performing it.
"Though I recall Kin himself couldn't use it so effortlessly either."
But he had no time to dwell on it—Might Dai was already charging through the air toward him.
His speed was so overwhelming that Orochimaru's eyes could barely track him.
In an instant, Might Dai closed the distance, delivering a spinning kick straight to Orochimaru's chest. But his foot tore right through it effortlessly.
Might Dai's pupils contracted.
Orochimaru's torso was hollow, filled with countless intertwined snakes. The kick had only severed the writhing mass.
At the same time, Orochimaru's elongated body coiled around Might Dai's leg, and a blade shot from his mouth, extending rapidly.
"Whoosh!" The sword sliced through the air.
A single drop of blood fell.
Might Dai tilted his head back, a thin red line now marking his forehead. With his other leg, he delivered a powerful kick to Orochimaru, using the recoil to propel himself away.
The snakes inside Orochimaru's body burst into bloody mist, only to be instantly replaced by more, reforming his torso.
Might Dai landed in the distance, where the snake horde had already vanished.
He planted his hands on the ground, his right leg bent forward and his left leg stretched straight behind him.
"Lord Orochimaru, this is my final attack."
Might Dai could no longer sustain the Six Gates.
"This is a move named after my son—my strongest strike."
"I look forward to it."
Orochimaru, now fully restored, watched with keen interest.
The ground beneath Might Dai began to crack.
A torrent of green chakra swelled around him, as if trying to take shape, but the insufficient chakra prevented it from fully forming.
Then—
The earth shattered as Might Dai shot forward like a bullet.
His flying kick tore through the air, the green chakra stream morphing into the shape of a dragon.
The atmosphere itself seemed to scream as it was ripped apart.
"GAI!!"
...
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(End of Chapter)